Alibi Picks

A Backhanded Carol for Christmas: The Santaland Diaries

Just imagine the stories that roll out of this scene: “22,000 people came to see Santa today, and not all of them were well-behaved.” The setting is Santaland at Macy’s in New York, and the narrator is writer and humorist David Sedaris, working as Crumpet the Elf. “The Santaland Diaries” shares the comic experiences he collected on the job, surrounded by 10,000 twinkling lights and dozens of other hired elves. Kelsey Leos Montoya plays Sedaris for the second year running, in what could become a local tradition. The hour-long one-man show merrily skewers just about every aspect of Christmas, including happy children and Santas for hire. It’s a saucy antidote to the overwhelmingly cheerful feel of the season, with perhaps unexpected turns: Imagine Billie Holiday singing “Away in a Manger.” The Box (100 Gold SW, Suite 112) presents one show nightly on Dec. 20 and 21 at 8pm, with tickets going for $10. Due to irreverent content, it’s probably best to leave pre-teens and early teens at home. The Box Performance Space and Improv Theatre • Fri Dec 20 • 8-9pm • $10 • View on Alibi calendar